Hundreds marched in, gathered for and rallied after today’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered pride parade organized by Wisconsin Capitol Pride on the final day of a weekendlong celebration.

Descriptions of speeches given at rally on Library Mall after parade:

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said “it is only a matter of short time” before everyone will have the opportunity to join together in marriage, something he says we need “to help build strong communities.”

Rep. Tammy Baldwin

U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., said much progress has been made. Last fall’s signing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was the first time in U.S. history a LGBT rights law was put into effect. The U.S. House recently voted to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and gay marriage is now legal in five states and Washington D.C. Baldwin said it is “important that we remain visible.”

Sheriff Dave Mahoney

Dave Mahoney said, “In Wisconsin, we pride ourselves in equality, but there are many in our communities who have been deprived marriage equality,” and he said he stands “arm in arm” with the audience to “ensure not only equality, but justice.”Rep. Mark Pocan

Wisconsin state Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, gives his scoreboard of successes and setbacks for the gay rights movement over the past year. He praised Wisconsin’s domestic partnership registry and offering health benefits to state employees.

Pocan cited some embarrassing incidents for “the anti civil rights crowd, the gay haters,” including the arrest of noted anti gay rights California state Senator Roy Ashburn after leaving a gay club parking lot and Christian right leader George Reker’s European vacation in companionship with a male companion hired from Rentboy.com.

Pocan said, “For you single guys out there looking for Mr. Right, can I make a suggestion? Try Mr. Right Wing.” He said the anti gay rights crowd’s year “sort of makes it look like Lindsay Lohan’s got her life put together.”

Wis. Supreme Court candidate Joel Winnig

“There is much work to be done to continue the fight for equality and respect,” Winnig said. He credited the U.S. Supreme Court for its 2003 reversal of its 1986 decision to not shoot down a Georgia law making certain sexual acts punishable.

Winnig said while he cannot say how he would rule on specific, hypothetical cases, he is not prohibited from giving his views on how he understands the constitutions or what is important to him. “There is nothing more important to me than your freedom and your equality,” he said.

Referring to Wisconsin’s passage of the amendment banning gay marriage, Winnig said, “It was wrong, and we in Wisconsin are better people than that, and we can admit we made a mistake, and we can change.” He said, as a family lawyer, he knows the issues that arise from gay marriage bans.

“I’m taking on the entire legal establishment. I didn’t ask for anybody’s permission to do this, and I didn’t answer to anybody,” Winnig said.